Newsletter

Georgia Southern's J.J. Wilcox making switch to strong safety

STATESBORO — J.J. Wilcox embraces change.

He arrived at Georgia Southern as a wide receiver and moved to slotback as a sophomore when coach Jeff Monken reintroduced the Eagles to triple-option football. Now Wilcox may finish his career at strong safety.

“Coach Monken asked if I minded moving and helping the team and I said, no, I don’t mind,” Wilcox said. “Any way I can help the team get better and get over that hump to a national championship, I’m willing to do.”

The 6-foot, 215-pound senior was a leading candidate for the Eagles’ depleted secondary that last season struggled down the stretch. Wilcox played strong safety in high school at Cairo, registering 77 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception for the Syrupmakers’ 2008 state championship team.

More importantly, GSU coaches liked Wilcox’s toughness and aggressiveness at slotback and expect it to translate to strong safety.

“We saw the way he lowered the shoulder and lowered the boom on you,” Eagles defensive coordinator Jack Curtis said. “He’s a big man with good speed and he’ll hit you. He fits the bill (of a strong safety.)”

Curtis said Wilcox runs a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash.

GSU’s secondary ended 2011 so short-handed that Jerick McKinnon, a backup quarterback, was starting as a nickel defensive back. The unit surrendered 226.3 yards on 60 percent passing during the final four games with 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

The Eagles allowed 37.8 points a game during the final four games.

The 2012 season looked just as daunting for the secondary. Starting cornerbacks Laron Scott and Hudson Presume finished their eligibility. Another corner, Riyahd Jones, quit the team.

But Curtis and Monken are encouraged with the rebuilt group. Valdon Cooper, a transfer from Illinois, may inherit one of the cornerback spots. Lavelle Westbrooks, who started eight games as a corner as a freshman, has been moved from safety back to corner. Redshirt freshman Antonio Glover has looked good at free safety, possibly moving leading tackler Deion Stanley to nickel.

One of the keys to the secondary’s success, however, will be how fast Wilcox adapts to strong safety. He did a good job going from wide receiver to slotback.

As a sophomore, Wilcox was one of the Eagles’ most valuable offensive players. He displayed fearlessness in catching passes over the middle and showed downhill power while running sweeps.

He accounted for 1,035 offensive yards as a sophomore (551 receiving, 484 rushing), catching 22 passes for a school-record 25.0 yards a reception.

Last season, he ran for 480 yards and seven touchdowns and caught seven passes for 168 yards and a touchdown despite missing parts of three games with a knee injury and a concussion.

“I enjoyed playing offense,” Wilcox said. “I took the defensive attack and brought it to A back. But I don’t mind changing. It’s not that big a deal to me.”

The Eagles see the move as a chance to bolster a team that has advanced to the semifinals the last two seasons. GSU starts the season at home Sept. 1 against Jacksonville University.

“We’d like to have a player like J.J. on both sides of the ball,” Monken said. “We’re trying to get our best 22 players on the field as often as possible.”

Scott waived

Former Eagle cornerback Laron Scott was waived by the New Orleans Saints on Monday, a day after producing a 67-yard kickoff return in the first exhibition game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

Scott, who was trying to make the club as a free agent, averaged 30.59 yards a return last season while finishing third in kickoff return average in the Football Championship Subdivision.

This and that

GSU held a two-hour practice Wednesday morning after rain and lightning canceled the second workout of a two-a-day practice scheduled for Tuesday. Monken said the team has lost about three hours of practice during this first week of workouts. ...

Freshman offensive guard Wintz Terrell suffered a high ankle sprain Wednesday. Terrell is hoping for playing time on a line that lost three seniors. ...

Student tickets for the Nov. 17 Georgia game in Athens will go on sale Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at Hanner Fieldhouse. A valid Georgia Southern Eagle ID is required and students will be limited to two tickets per person.

The cost of the ticket is $47.50 dollars and can be purchased with cash, American Express, Visa or Mastercard. All sales are final and no refunds or exchanges will be granted. The game time has not been set as of yet and will be released at a later date.